Location: The Francis Crick Institute, Midland Road, London
Contract: Fixed term/Full time
Short summary
The Groschner lab studies signal processing in the brain. We use the fruit fly as a model in which numerical simplicity, well-charted connectivity, and our ability to control nervous activity have aligned to make mechanistic ideas precise and testable.
Our work is based on the premise that nervous systems across species employ a common set of circuit architectures to delay, accumulate, and store signals over this time range. Bridging biophysics and behaviour, we describe these circuits in molecular detail and search for general principles of how they compute.
The projects rely on a common set of experimental and computational approaches, which include behavioural assays, recordings and manipulations of neural activity in vivo, transcriptomic profiling of neuronal populations, and biophysically realistic modelling of neurons and circuits.
Key Responsibilities
Responsibilities of the Postdoctoral Fellow include the following:
- Undertake academic research and develop projects in a timely and resource-efficient manner
- Contribute ideas to the research programme
- Adapt existing and develop new scientific techniques and experimental protocols
- Use specialist scientific equipment in a laboratory environment
- Acquire, analyse, and review scientific data to test and refine working hypotheses
- Provide guidance and training to less experienced members of the research group
- Develop ideas for generating research income, gather preliminary data, and present proposals to senior researchers
Key experience and competencies
Essential
- A PhD degree in the natural sciences or engineering (or a forthcoming PhD thesis submission)
- A desire to understand scientific questions in detail and the commitment to work hard in order to obtain answers
- An ability to contribute intellectually to the progress and direction of the research programme
- An ability to work both independently and as part of a multi-disciplinary team
About us
The Francis Crick Institute is a biomedical discovery institute dedicated to understanding the fundamental biology underlying health and disease. Its work is helping to understand why disease develops and to translate discoveries into new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, infections, and neurodegenerative diseases.
An independent organisation, its founding partners are the Medical Research Council (MRC), Cancer Research UK, Wellcome, UCL (University College London), Imperial College London and King’s College London.
The Crick was formed in 2015, and in 2016 it moved into a new state-of-the-art building in central London which brings together 1500 scientists and support staff working collaboratively across disciplines, making it the biggest biomedical research facility under in one building in Europe.
The Francis Crick Institute will be world-class with a strong national role. Its distinctive vision for excellence includes commitments to collaboration; developing emerging talent and exporting it the rest of the UK; public engagement; and helping turn discoveries into treatments as quickly as possible to improve lives and strengthen the economy.
- If you are interested in applying for this role, please apply via our website.
- The closing date for applications is 12.08.2023
- All offers of employment are subject to successful security screening and continuous eligibility to work in the United Kingdom.